Surgeries are often performed on humans and animals to treat disease or injury. Such surgeries can result in the surgeon having to repair a separated, cut or fractured bone. In the case of an injury, the surgeon may need to immobilize and fix two or more bone portions together to allow the bone to heal over time. Treating certain diseases, such as heart disease, for example, often requires the surgeon to cut a patient's sternum to gain access to and perform a procedure on the patient's heart. Once the heart procedure is complete, the cut sternum may be repaired by immobilizing and joining the separate portions of the sternum together to allow the sternum to heal over time. It is often desirable to apply a compressive force urging the bone portions together to facilitate healing of the bone.